Safety fuse



: sew; 13.1927

1,642,567 G. Y. TANGE SAFETY FUSE Filed June 18, 1924 INVENTOR. Cie'ozye Y Taziye- BY v A TTORNEYS Patented Sept. 13, 1927.

UNITED STATES GEORGE Y. CHANGE, OF.GLEVELAND, OHIO.

SAFETY FUSE.

Application filed June 18, 1924. Serial No. 720,765.

This invention relates to a safety fuse electrical connection. More particularly it comprises. a device embodying afuse which may be readily renewed without danger of shock through accidental contact with the, terminals.

It is customary in connection with lighting devices and various forms of electrical appliances to provide a casing with spaced binding posts between which a section of fuse wire is secured. These devices take different forms, but the principle in general is the same and a standard spacing of the binding posts is the usual practice.

WVhen in such an apparatus a fuse wire is burned through because of excess of current, it is necessary to insert a new section of fuse by; placingthe ends thereof under the caps of said binding posts. When the current is turned on this operation isone which may involve some danger of shock, together wit the production of sparks and danger of fire.

The object of the present invention is to provide a device which will obviate the difficulties mentioned and make the insertion of a new section of fuse an entirely safe oper ation for an inexperienced person. Another object of the invention is to reduce the cost of providing for the renewal of fuse sections and to require but a minimum length of fuse wire and avoid all necessity of winding the same about the binding posts to insure satisfactory operative contact. Other objects of the invention will appear in the course of the following description. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. e

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain structure embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various structural forms 111 which the prinfciple of the invention may be used.

f In said annexed drawing i Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of an electrical connectlon embodying the 1nvent1on;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown device, as shown in Fig. 2; Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sectional views taken along the lines 4-4 and 5-5, respectively, shown in Fig. 3 Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the base portion of the electrical connection; Fig. 7 is in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 isa longitudinal sectional I view of the device taken transversely of the,

a plan view showing the under side 'offthe coversection of the'device'; Fig. 8' is a perspectlve view showing one of the electric terminal elements forming a part of the safety fuse connection; andFig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing electric terminal elements with seats turned inwardly to rest upon the upper face of the base member.

As is clearly shown in the drawing, the safety fuse connection comprises a base member lformed of non-conducting material and provided with a recess 2 through its central portion and a longitudinal channelway 3 upon ltS, upper face. Adjacent its ends it is provided with a pair of transverse openings l through which screws or binding posts 5 are adapted to be inserted. By means ofsaid binding posts electric terminal elements 6 are adapted to be secured to the under side of said base portion of the device. Said elements, as is clearly shown in Fig. 8, comprise plates 'T'of substantially rectangular outline,

tongue 11 is formed on the end 'ofeach plate adjacent said aperture for the binding post and sbent at right angles to the plate and provided at'its free end with a V-shaped seat 12 bent outwardly at right angles to said tongue.

WVh'en the terminal elements are held by the binding posts to the underside of the base section of'the device, the tongues will be housed within the central recess of said base and the seats willbe positioned in plane slightly above the bottomof the longitudinal channelway' formed in the upper face of said base portion. A pair-of nuts 13 engaged over the threaded "shanks of the binding posts serve to hold the platesand' binding posts firmly in position on said base portion of the device. When the'parts are so assembled the seats are in parallel relation to each other and are adapted toreceive,

against their V-sh'aped upper. faces a short section of fuse wire This fuse wire may be dropped into position without touching any of the metal partsof the device." It is unnecessary to bend the ends of the fuse. A

wire and a short straight section, when cut off, maybe placedin operative position by merely dropping the same sothat its ends will be supported by saidrespective-seats.

In order to. firmly hold the section of fuse free ends of the binding posts. upper ends of the binding posts thumb nuts 22 are provided to firmly secure the cover for-med of slightly greater height than the .end portions thereof and may have beveled sides 18 and a narrow central flattened face 19 adapted to rest against the upper side of the section offusewire, when the parts are in assembled posit on, to hold the ends of said wire in firm contact with said seats, as is clearly shown in Fig. 5. The end sections of said longitudinal rib may have flattened faces through which apertures 21 are formed to permit the passage of the Upon the section against the base of the device. Said thumb nuts are preferably formedof rubber or a similar non-conducting material. The operation of the device has already been in dicatedand it will be readily apparent that v through its use an inexperienced person may readily apply a fuse to a fuse-board or to an standard electrical appliance providing for a safety fuse, without danger of bringing the hand in contact with the electric terminals where the fuse is positioned in a readily accessible place so that the device may be attached in a horizontal position with the cover on the upper side. The fusible element may be replaced at any time by merely removing the cover section and dropping a short section of fuse wire with its ends upon the seats and then restoring the cover to its original position. Where the spaced binding posts for the fuse member are in a .place difficult of access, the caps of the binding posts are unscrewed and the device is removed from position by slipping it i to one side so that the slots of the plates may be disengaged from the shanks of the binding posts and a second device having a 7 section of fuse in place may be substituted.

If, however, but a single safety connection is available, the fuse wire in the one which has burned out may be replaced in the manner before described and the entire device may then be seated upon the binding posts and firmly secured in position. When thus secured'upon the binding posts, as above de scribed, the fingers of the operator are en- 'gaged upon the nonconducting body portion of the device and no danger of shock will be incurred. In add tion to the advantages of safety, there s the advantage of economy in the use of extremely short sections of fuse wire and great simplicity of operation as Well. 'Ihis is a matter which. is of much importance inconnection with household electhrown upon the line.

the base member instead of extending out- I fear of bending the seats out of position. At

trical appliances which on occasion require the attention of housewives who are unfamiliar with electrical devices and are incapable of applying a -sect-ion of fuse wire to the binding posts While the current is turned on.

It should be noted that the large-central recess provides ample space for the escape of the gases formed by the fusing of the section of ,fuse wire when an excess of current is In Fig. 9a modified form of construction of the terminal elements is shown. In said form the seats 25 are bent inwardly with. their bases resting upon the upper face of wardly free of all support. In this manner the seats are rigidly held in position and the thumb nuts may be turned to press the fuse wire very firmly against the seats without the same time the terminals are engaged with three faces of the base and when the fuse wire is rigidly clamped in place the terminal members will be held in position by this means as well as by the binding posts.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead-of the one explained, change being made as regards the structure herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and dis-, tinctly claim as my invention 1. A safety fuse electrical connection comprising a casingv of non-conductingmaterial formed of a recessed base section and a cover section, a longitudinal rib on the under face of said cover section and projecting into the recess of said base section, a pair of electric terminal elements forming seats within the recessed portion of said base section,.a section of fuse wire adapted to be. supported at its respective ends upon said seats and-underlying said rib, and means for securing said cover section to said base with said rib pressing said fuse wire against said seats 2. A. safety fuseelectrical connection comprising a non-conducting supporting base, a pair of metallic conducting plates secured to opposite ends of said base and provided with extensions forming seats adjacent the upper, portion of said base, a section of fusewire adapted to rest upon said seats tocoinplete the electrical connection between said plate members, a top section formed of non-conducting material having a longitudinal rib, centrally of its under face adapted to bear against said fuse'wire and hold theisame 125 upon said seats, and means for securing said 1 top section tosaid base. 7 i

3. A safety fuseelectrical connection com-,

prisinga non-conducting centrally recessed supporting base, a pair of metallic conducting plates secured to the under side of said base member at opposite ends thereof and projecting outwardly beyond said 'base mein ber, slots formed in the projecting portions of said plates for engagement over the spaced binding posts on a fuse board, extension tongues on the inner ends of said conducting plates extending upwardly within said central recess of the base section, seats formed at the upper ends of said extension tongues, a section of fuse wire adapted to rest upon said seats to complete the electrical connection between said conducting plates, a cover section having aportion adapted to bear against said fuse wire and hold the same upon said seats, and means for securing said cover section to said base.

4. A safety fuse electrical connection comprising a non-conducting supporting base provided with a central recess through its body portion and a longitudinal channelway on its upper face, a pair of metallic conducting plates secured to the under side of said base member at the ends thereof and projecting outwardly beyond said base member, slots formed in the projecting portions of said plates for engagement over the spaced binding posts on a fuse board, extension tongues on the inner ends of said conducting plates extending upwardly within said central recess of the base section to a point slightly above the upper face of said longitudinal channelway, seats formed at the upper ends of said extensions and turned to a position parallel to the bases of said conducting plates, a section of fuse wire adapted to rest upon said seats to complete the electrical connection between said conducting plates, a longitudinal rib provided on the under side of said cover plate of a size to engage within said cha-nnelway and the base, an enlargement centrally of said longitudinal rib adapted to bear against said fuse wire when the cover plate is in position over said base, and means for securing said cover plate to said base.

Signed by me, this 17th day of June, 1924.

GEORGE Y; TANGE. 

